


Glory and Gore

by Lady Lecter (RoNask)



Category: Copycat (1995), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types, The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-24 19:49:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12019776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoNask/pseuds/Lady%20Lecter
Summary: After Clarice is suspended, Special Agent Monahan is designed to work in the case of a new mysterious killer. Meanwhile, Starling has investigations of her own to do about Dr. Lecter and his letters.





	1. Prologue

The TV is on, but she is not really watching it. CNN is rambling about the new victim of this new killer they call “Faceless”. It is not her case nor it would be anytime soon.

A letter had arrived and the FBI had been all over it, as pleased as Jack Crawford were when she told him about what she had received.

“Dear Clarice,

I have followed with enthusiasm the course of your disgrace and public shaming…”

She had read it more than once and found comfort on it more than once. But what came after the arrival of the letter was beyond her control.

A piece of paper sent to her address and signed by Hannibal “the Cannibal” Lecter himself was more than enough reason for the FBI and the news be on fire. The world had turned to look at her, at least, for a moment. Her story was all over the papers once more.

However, a note came, along with a lotion.

“You are the honey in the lion”

Even to Krendler’s simplistic mind, it looked like a love letter. It was enough of reason to have her suspended.

She had just hung up after talking to Jack Crawford and his words had been in her mind for a while.

Starling observed the TV screen with mild interest. The face of a woman was on focus, apparently, she was Faceless’ latest victim. Another beautiful woman in her thirties.

Jack Crawford had been working on the case, but it was a friend of hers who was in the front line. Special Agent M. J. Monahan was a very competent agent who was now just a few years out from the Academy, with her good work and sense of humor, she was a rising star in the Bureau.

As much as Clarice was interested in the Faceless case, she had to admit she could not have chosen a better agent to be on it. Monahan was perfect for the job.

Special Agent Starling turned off the TV and made her way to her bedroom, she needed a good room and a nice shower to put her mind at peace while she decided what to do.

She had been suspended, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t work on the Lecter case. It didn’t mean she couldn’t find him. Actually, she was perfect for Lecter as Monahan was perfect for Faceless.

To pursue or not to pursue, that was the question.

 

Mary Jane Monahan was an Inspector in San Francisco before she joined the FBI, she decided to study Criminal Psychology after working on a case with Dr. Helen Hudson. She and Helen still talked from time to time, but Monahan had been busy lately.

Being FBI was exciting, and working with Jack Crawford was a new experience, but she knew the man from the stories told around the Bureau. She had given a special attention to the version of events Starling and Mapp had shared with her. She had learned enough to be careful and professional around the so-called “Guru”.

Special Agent Monahan was pleased to find Jack Crawford at his office.

“Agent Crawford” she called getting his attention away from a letter he had been reading. His pose looked like one of a man who was at war with himself. The notion did not bother Monahan, she knew enough of the man to know he could be constantly at such state of spirit.

“Special Agent Monahan” he replied finally facing her, he put on a smile that almost seemed real. Almost. “Please, come in”

She did as told and sat before his desk.

“I believe you have news for me” he commented.

“Another victim was found, Sir. I was asked to go to back to Oklahoma. I thought it might interest you to come along.”

“Is it Faceless?”

“The local police says so.”

Crawford nodded numbly, his eyes exploring his office as if he had never seen it before. “I’ll be right after you,” he said.

She shook her head in a satisfied nod and got up. “You might want to hurry, Sir,” she said. “The time between the killings seems to be growing shorter.”

He looked up at her, surprised at this new piece of information. Faceless had been keeping a pattern. Something had changed.

Crawford got up and grabbed his coat. “Let’s go, Agent”

 

Hannibal Lecter’s fingers moved over the piano keys with ease, the sound filling the air was beautiful and graceful. A new composition of his own. Perhaps the first of several, he had been feeling inspired lately.

His eyes opened and focused on the newspapers before him. Clarice’s face was slowly being replaced by the ones of the victims of the killer known as Faceless.

Through the psychiatric circles, however, the child of a doctor had come up with a more creative and insightful name for the killer. “Mimikyu”; apparently the name of a creature from some child program, a creature with the ability to mimic other creature’s appearance so its own become more acceptable to those who saw it.

Mimikyu. Definitely a better name and definitely more insightful than the one given by those who called themselves detectives. An eight-year-old had seen more than they did. Now, what did that say about the American law enforcement, huh? Certainly not good things.

Dr. Lecter smiled a bit, his eyes glancing back to the keyboard as his fingers moved over it calmly and the melody filled the room and his mind.

He knew what was about to come. Just like his letter, his note to Clarice had set a chain of events in motion and he was waiting for it patiently. For one who waited seven years a few more days felt like a gentle breeze caressing his skin.

All good things for those who wait.

The good doctor closed his eyes again and started playing Bach. A dramatic compositor to serenade the rest of the peaceful days he would have before it all began.

The smile didn’t leave the Doctor’s face for a while.


	2. Awakening

Her work had begun after the letter arrived and so far Starling had managed to reunite things that once belonged to the good Doctor Lecter. All of them a lead to his taste.

She had also checked websites looking for sightings of him or maybe something that belonged to him ending up somewhere interesting.

Dr. Lecter would be nowhere near Florence after what happened to Pazzi. Staying would be too dangerous, even if he felt like giving in to his whims. He could be anywhere.

Her attentions turned back to his tastes and the sightings, she had a friend or two inside the FBI who could give her the information she needed. She wondered who was taking care of the Lecter case now that she had been suspended and who would notice if she interfered.

Starling grabbed her phone, ready to have a chat with some old friends of hers.

 

 

Mrs. Daisy Monroe was a 35-year-old woman from Ardmore, Oklahoma.

She was the fourth victim from Oklahoma, the second victim was found in Wichita Falls, Texas.

All of the victims were found in their beds, the skin of their faces was removed before they were stabbed to death. Whoever this killer was, he or she was very angry.

Special Agent Monahan had her own conclusions about the case. She would appreciate being able to discuss them with her friend Helen, the woman would have seemed more focused on the case than Crawford, who stared at corpses long enough to find he would rather stay away from the bedrooms, and he wasn’t exactly the most accessible person when it came to discussing the case.

Whatever was eating him up, should be put aside soon if they wanted to get anything done.

“Agent Crawford” Monahan called out and he turned to face her.

“Yes” he replied

“I believe the victim to be a woman, she is probably between her 20s and 30s, maybe a doctor or she may be in MedSchool. M.E. Parish said she has cut the faces in a manner that would suggest training.”

“Very good.” he said almost blankly.

“Agent Crawford, may I be honest?”

That caught his attention. “Yes, agent, you may.”

“Sir, you seem distracted and I’m afraid it is affecting this case.”

He let out a loud sigh, his hand moving through his face. “Faceless is hitting the news, he is scaring the hell out of people. We need this case closed as soon as possible, there hasn’t been this much of commotion since…”

“Buffalo Bill,” Monahan concluded. “I agree, Sir, we have to catch Faceless as soon as possible, but I also need to know if you can work with me or not. All due respect, Mr. Crawford, I need a team who is here for the case.”

He took no offense, she actually saw a hint of respect in his eyes. “You’re right… Agent Monahan, I have someone in this case. Extra officially.”

“Sir?”

“My source might be of help, so far he has given me almost nothing, but enough for me to know you’re on the right track. I need you to keep going, I’ll tell if something comes up. I didn’t want to interfere in your judgment, in case…”

“The source is not entirely reliable.”

Crawford took a moment before he nodded slowly.

Monahan shook her head, satisfied with the answers she had gotten from him.

She would investigate further later about this source of his. However, for now, she had to find Faceless.

 

The winds of winter caressed Dr. Lecter’s cheek as he made his way towards the Shepherdstown Opera House.

He was there to buy tickets to a play in the week after. It should be enough time, more than enough, he suspected.

Perhaps he would speed things a little, just to see how they’d progress.

He studied the possibility for a while, making a pause when he reached the Opera House and studied its structure.

Yes, perhaps he would speed things.


	3. Hunger

Running through the woods always made her feel as if her lungs were expanding, the huge intakes of oxygen were a real delight. Running always helped her think, helped her to rationalize.

This afternoon, however, as she saw the mail over the living room table, the calm that her run had brought was quickly forgotten and the alarms in her mind began sounding loud.

A bouquet laid on the table beside a box. A bouquet of rhododendrons.

When she found a note in among the flowers, the copperplate handwriting didn’t surprise her.

Perhaps roses would be way too predictable and predictable was definitely not Hannibal Lecter’s type.

“Did you know, Clarice, that amongst the Zomi tribes in India and Myanmar, the rhododendrons are called ‘Ngeisok’, a term used in a poetic manner to signify a lady. Tell me, Clarice, do you consider yourself a lady? Or do you feel that your choice of career kept you away from being one? Do you ever look in the mirror and imagine what could have been, Clarice? Do you imagine yourself dressing up in fancy dresses and drinking fine wine? It’s quite a life, my dear, I believe it would suit you and be well healthier than your abusive husband than the FBI.

You can always start over, my dear.

Regards,

H.”

Starling opened the box calmly, giving herself time to absorb the good doctor’s words.

Inside the box Agent Starling found a beautiful necklace with a drop shaped stone on it. As anything given by Lecter, she wondered what was the meaning of such a beautiful rock. She would have to do some research.

 

Special Agent Monahan studied the necklace lying over Mapp’s dinner table, it was a beautiful stone shaped in the form of a drop, it made her think of a tear.

“Whose is this?” Monahan asked looking in the direction of the kitchen, Mapp was making her way back into the dining room with two beers in her hand.

“Oh, it’s Starling’s, she has got some boyfriend she’s not telling me about, the man brought her this” Ardelia replied.

“Starling dating? Now that sounds like an X-file, should I call Mulder and Scully?” commented Monahan and Mapp snorted.

“I know, right? Well, let her be, she’ll talk when the time is right.”

Mary Jane Monahan didn’t believe Mapp for a second and watched Ardelia’s expression for a while with disbelief written all over her face.

“You are going to investigate it, won’t you?” M.J. questioned.

“Totally” Mapp replied before taking a sip of her beer as if nothing happened.

“Thought so”

“Hm!” Ardelia almost choked on her beer. “You said something about Crawford being distracted.”

“Ah, yeah, he has his own investigation going on the Faceless case.”

“An extra official investigation? Crawford?”

“Oh, yeah”

“Odd”

“Yep.” Monahan took a sip of her beer. “He says he has a source.”

Mapp considered the information for a moment. “Possible, but it doesn’t sound like something that will end up well, it never does, not with Crawford. You should be careful, girl, last time he had an insider working on a case Clarice ended up in the basement of a madman, not to mention the Cannibal who seems to have a crush on her.”

“I’ll stay away from cannibals and dressmakers.”

“Good… Oh, and from Dragons, there was this guy Graham that ended up with his face looking like a Picasso.”

“I heard about that.”

“See? Careful, I like your pretty face, Monahan.”

M.J. smirked and took another sip. “So, shall we call Mulder and Scully to investigate Starling’s new boyfriend?”

“I’ll get the phone.”

 

In some ramifications of modern witchcraft, the study of stones is a well-respected tradition. From the modern witches, Dr. Lecter learned that the chalcedony was used to bring bodily harmony, emotional honesty and inner peace after it was used to do some inner studying of oneself.

The use of the stone seemed fitting for his purposes, Clarice could definitely use some inner peace, the woman needed to get more fun out of life and knowing oneself always helped to relax a bit more.

Knowing yourself is always the best option.

The Doctor wondered how long it would take until she caught the scent on his leads, how long until she could envision the bloodied hat and then see the oranges being peeled. How long until daddy called her back home?

During the night, Dr. Lecter dreamed of Christ, he left his cross and walked towards Lecter showing the marks in his hands. Christ was no man and definitely not Jesus. Tonight, Christ had the face of a lamb savior he had met years before.

When he woke up, Lecter knew Clarice would soon be closing in.


	4. Searching

There was a tug in the back of Starling’s mind that seemed to anticipate the famous presque vu, the feeling of having something at the tip of the tongue but not being able to reach it in one’s memory. Tot.  
She had a growing feeling of familiarity towards the flowers Dr. Lecter had given her. It took her a second reading of his note to realize what it was.  
“You can always start over, my dear”  
Start, beginning. A tear shaped stone, pain. Trauma.  
She knew where he was.  
Starling turned her attention to the portable computer in the table. A friend of hers managed to get her access to the FBI’s tools through it. She just had to be careful not to leave suspicious traces behind.  
Dr. Lecter’s taste was an expensive one, not many could afford the life the man lived. He was used to giving in to his whims and having whatever he wanted. Whimsy got him caught last time and it seemed that it would do so again.  
Special Agent Starling’s eyes watched the screen closely as she looked for any indicators of Lecter in the area of West Virginia. She discarded two possibilities out of five, the three left included two women and only one Dr. David Boyd.  
Starling was ready to meet the man and make sure he was who he said he was.   
She would have to decide what to tell Ardelia.

 

She’s riding a blind horse this time. The creature guides itself very well even if darkness was all it could see; it seemed to trust its rider.  
The sight of Hannah made Dr. Lecter think of his family horse, Cesar.  
A possibility crossed his mind as he wondered what would be like to ride with Clarice.  
A smile spread across his lips.  
The rider and her horse approached him and encircled him a few times. Starling offered him her hand.  
For the first time, Lecter heard the sound of angry dogs growling and running towards them.  
Starling’s eyes seemed calm but expectant. He accepted her offer and sat behind her on the horse. She guided Hannah away from the dogs and their hunger, guided them to safety.  
When Hannibal woke up he wondered about just how much he felt like a lamb to Clarice. Did she have the ability to see the lamb behind the monster? The child that once inhabited his body?  
He was no lamb in need of saving, of that he was sure. But would his little Starling agree?

 

“She left?” Monahan questions while sitting in front of Mapp, who lowered her menu to look at her friend.  
“She’s gone home… She was really close to her father, you know. I just hope this doesn’t mess with her head again.”  
“Again?”  
“Lecter brought back painful memories, she handled it well, but she had never talked about it before, at least, not to me.”  
“And Lecter made her talk.”  
“It was like some sort of game they played, he wanted her memories and she wanted Buffalo Bill.”  
“Why bother with her past?”  
“I’m not sure, maybe he liked the pain of it.” she looked away  
“You don’t believe that.” Monahan accused and Mapp watched her curiously. “What is it?”  
Ardelia sighed, it took her a moment. “They always seemed to get along, he seemed to like her. I mean, for real. When he escaped she wasn’t afraid of him.”  
“You really think he has a crush on her?”  
Mapp shrugged. “I just hope she is careful.”  
Mary Jane considered for a moment.   
There was buzzing. A phone.  
“Monahan” the agent answered. “Mr. Crawford, how can I help you?”  
Ardelia watched her friend attentively.  
“Yes, sir… Yes, sir, thank you for the update. Yes, I’ll check it and I’ll call you back as soon as possible… Okay. Bye”  
“What was it?”  
“Crawford’s source is talking.”  
“What did it said?”  
“Crawford said that Faceless has some serious problems with her mother.”  
Ardelia raised an eyebrow. “And how did the source know this?”  
“I know, right? Odd, something feels off about this source of the Guru.”  
“Want me to check it?”  
“No, don’t worry, I’m gonna take care of this as soon as Faceless is caught.”  
Mapp nodded satisfied with the answer.  
The waiter approached them in time to take their orders.

 

As soon as her feet touched West Virginia, Starling felt a mix of emotions. There was a sense of familiarity and hope, along with fear and a shiver running down her spine. She wondered if it was Lecter or the prospect of facing her past that caused the second part of the effects.  
There was only one way to find out.  
Starling walked through the airport with a destination in mind.


	5. Preying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I've made a mistake and I posted chapter 4 where I should have posted chapter 3, I've just corrected it. To make it up to you I'm uploading two chapters today.

She had to fight the urge to go home.  
It was a brief fight, reason won her over without much effort.   
Going home would be predictable and make her a perfect prey for Lecter and she wouldn’t want to face him without having a chance against the man.  
There was something else too. She had no wish to face her mom, it would be awkward and hurtful and there were her siblings; it would be of no good. Also, there was the possibility of meeting only death. They didn’t keep contact, she hadn’t heard from them in years.  
Definitely not a good idea.   
She could do with Mapp’s family at the annual festivities and it was enough. Mapp was all family she needed even if they weren’t really that close. They were good friends, yes, but they didn’t tell each other everything as the usual best friends goals would have them do. They were good friends and that was enough.  
Definitely not going back home.  
Starling decided to focus on Lecter, the trail was hot and she felt that she had him. Dr. David Boyd’s credit card had been used recently in Shepherdstown to buy a ticket to a play.  
Clarice wondered just how much fun Lecter had out of the city name or out of the own Opera House name. Probably both and probably a lot.  
The play would happen the day after, in the afternoon, it was her chance to get a glimpse of the man and be sure of his ID. If she got a positive, she might need back up, but the idea of scared agents around Lecter didn’t sound safe. He would have a better chance of making it alive if she went for him on her own.  
Starling let out a sigh and decide to deal with the dilemma later. She had to call Ardelia and tell her everything was fine and she hadn’t gone nuts… Yet.

 

“Should I be worried about this?” the voice made the two agents turn and find Special Agent Dana Scully watching them with a playful smile on her lips.  
“You know I love you, Dana” her partner said smiling at her.  
“Shut up, Mulder” she shot back rolling her eyes.  
“Yeah, shut up, Mulder. Everybody knows Dana and I have a thing” Monahan intervened.  
“You do remember I carry a gun, right?” Scully questioned them.  
“Unfortunately, we do.” Monahan answered.  
“Come, Scully, sit with us” Mulder offered, pulling out a chair for her.  
“What are we looking at?” Scully asked while sitting and facing the board.  
“I need a second opinion,” M.J. said.  
“Is it Faceless?” Scully tried, studying the photos of the corpses.  
“Dear Lord, what are you guys doing?” Mapp questioned as she entered.  
“We are having a party without you” Monahan answered. “Now we are the Fantastic Three since you and Starling won’t play with us anymore.”  
“That’s a lie, we have to be Fantastic Four and leave Starling to her secret boyfriend,” Mapp said walking towards them.  
“So, we have a female killer around 20s to 30s with medical knowledge and issues with her mom.” Monahan summarized.  
“Where did this mom thing came from?” Mulder asked.  
“Can’t say” M.J. replied.  
“What was the cause of death?” Scully was looking for something in the pictures.  
“Their faces were cut off before they were stabbed to death.”  
“How many stabs?” Mapp tried to join them while looking away from the pictures, she would like to keep her lunch in her stomach.  
“Around ten in every victim. They look alike, they live in close areas, they have around the same age, but something is missing.” Monahan proceeded.  
“There is way too much anger.” Mulder pointed out. “It’s personal.”  
“There is no connection between the victims, no one all of them knew,” M.J. said.  
“Maybe the killer is projecting, someone she didn’t kill but she wishes she did.” Mulder continued.  
“Her mother?” suggested Mapp.  
“Could be, but why?” he questioned.  
A buzzing sound interrupted them.  
“Mapp” Ardelia answered the phone.   
“Hey, Delia”  
“Hey, girl, how are you?”  
“I’m fine, how are you?”  
“Good. Stop small talking me, Starling, how was it?”  
“I haven’t gone there yet, I’m… Gathering courage.”  
“Clarice Starling afraid? Okay, you have to tell which drugs are you on.”  
Starling chuckled on the other end of the line.  
“I’m fine, Dee, seriously. The flight was okay, my lunch was okay, I’ve just called to check in… Oh! Did anything arrived for me?”  
“No, no more love letters from your boyfriend.”  
“Not a boyfriend, Ardelia.”  
“Is it a girlfriend, Clarice? If it is, I still want to know.”  
“It is not a girlfriend, Delia”  
“You seriously gonna keep me guessing?”  
“There is nothing to guess”  
“Right,” said Mapp in disbelief. “I’ll have your ass for that, you know that, right?”  
“I’m aware.”  
“Hey, can I talk to her?” Monahan asked.  
“Oh, okay… Clare, my girl Monahan wants to talk to you. Take care of yourself, kid.”  
“I will.”  
“Starling,” Monahan said as soon as she got the phone.  
“Hey, M.J.”  
“Starling, I need to ask you something.” Monahan walked away from the room leaving Mulder, Scully and Mapp inside.  
“Okay, go for it.”  
“You’ve worked with Crawford for a while before, has he ever used an extra official source?”  
“... Crawford has someone on Faceless?”  
“Apparently yes”  
“Odd, he usually plays by the book and the politics”  
“But he has done it before.”  
“Yes, but his usual extra official investigation involved interviewing criminals”  
“Like Lecter.”  
“Yes, and anyone else willing to say anything about any case… What is up, M.J., do you think he has someone he shouldn’t have on it?”  
“Might be”  
“There was this guy, Will Graham, he used to work with Crawford, he was a legend. He could get into a killer’s mind as if he was the killer. It ended up badly for Graham, he and Lecter didn’t get along, so Dr. Lecter got revenge on Graham. Maybe Crawford has Graham on it and wants to keep him safe and anonymous.”  
“I’m gonna check it. Thank you, Starling.”  
“Anytime, Monahan.”  
“I’ll see you when you get back. Bye”  
Monahan hung up and found Mapp studying her.   
“Well?” Mapp asked.  
“I think I have got something,” M.J. said.

 

Starling moved around the theatre’s hall more gracefully than someone would have expected from a workaholic FBI agent. She seemed to float around the room.  
However, her shoulders were tense and her eyes searched attentively for a familiar face.  
She had brought herself a ticket for the play and watched it until the last minute. She had spotted someone familiar in one of the boxes. She had to make sure before she acted, even if in the back of her mind she knew she needed no further proof of who it was.  
Starling swallowed. She felt her body in full alert. She was a predator looking for a prey that could turn her into a prey in a blink.  
He had promised not to call on her, but he never said what he would do if she called on him.  
Her gun felt heated against her thigh, her senses seemed to be heightened. She felt anxious.  
She had been waiting for a while now, but he was nowhere to be seen. She was about to go back inside to “look for her purse”, when a hand caught her elbow in a strong hold.  
A familiar voice whispered in her ear. “Good afternoon, my dear. Let’s take a walk, shall we? And, please, let’s not cause a scene, the day has been lovely, we wouldn’t want to spoil it, would we?”  
She didn’t need to turn, her ears and her nose weren’t failing her. By sound and smell, she knew who it was.  
“Good evening, Dr. Lecter.”


	6. Strike

“Come with me” his words came in a calm request and his hold on her elbow eased as he guided her. “Give me your arm.” she complied and they walked out of the theatre as any other normal couple would. “I loved the dress. And the shoes.”  
“Thank you, Doctor.”  
“What do you say about a cup of coffee?”  
“What do you say about a pair of handcuffs?”  
She could almost hear him smiling. “Had you use any other tone, Clarice, I would have gladly fulfilled your wishes… How have you been, my dear?”  
“Well, you know, the usual.”  
“You do really need to get more fun out of life, dear. I had some hope you’d take my advice.”  
“I’m sorry to disappoint, Doctor”  
“You didn’t.”  
“Doctor”  
“Yes”  
“Where is David Boyd?”  
“In a paper, he never existed, Special Agent Starling, so you can stop wondering where I buried him.”  
“I have another question.”  
“Yes.”  
“Why are you here?”  
“Now, wouldn’t that be telling? Please, indulge me, Clarice, let’s have a nice chat over coffee, after all, it has been a while, hasn’t it? I’ll be glad to catch up with you.”

She waited for the waiter to be out of earshot.  
“Well?” Starling prompted.  
Dr. Lecter took a moment observing her figure, he didn’t need to look down her cleavage to make her feel naked. His maroon eyes met her blue ones and a smile appeared on his lips causing Clarice to become curious about what could be so entertaining on her figure.  
“Anxious, my dear? There is no need to be, we have all the time in the world. If it puts your mind at ease, you can arrest me now or in a couple of hours, it won’t make a difference. The FBI will be equally pleased.”  
“Not if anyone sees us.”  
“You can always blame me, say I threatened you. Even though, I know you to be the one with a gun. Where is it, Clarice? Do you have it under this lovely dress, pressed against your thigh making you feel slightly better just at the feel of it?”  
“I asked you a question first, Doctor.”  
“Now, Clarice, that is a lie. I recall making several questions through letters and notes. Speaking of which, how did you like the necklace?”  
“It is beautiful, Doctor.”  
“You are not wearing it.”  
“It’s evidence, Doctor”  
“Have you brought it?”  
Silence and she looked away from him for a moment. Lecter smiled pleased.  
“Well, Clarice, I believe you owe me some answers.” he said, trying to get her to look at him again.  
She was beautiful, especially so given the choice of clothes she made for the theatre.   
“So do you” she replied, glancing at him for a moment.  
“Very well” he leaned towards her. “Quid pro quo. You know the rules, dear.”  
“Okay.” she watched him.  
“I go first. Tell me about your lambs, Clarice.”  
“They go silent and then return from time to time.”  
“When do they usually come back?”  
“Quid pro quo, Doctor.” she reminded him. “Why are we here?”  
“Irrelevant for now.” he dismissed it.  
“You can’t do that.” she shot.  
“Yes, I can. Now, Clarice, proceed” his words came out sounding a little like a growl.  
“When someone is in danger,” she replied. “Now, Doctor, tell me why.”  
“I lured you here, my dear, because I want you to face your past. Tell me, have you visited daddy yet? Or maybe your mommy?”  
She swallowed angrily and took a deep breath, trying to focus and to calm down. “No, I haven’t. We have no time for the small talk, Doctor. I have to bring you in.”  
“Do you honestly believe I will allow it, little Starling?”  
The tone he used wiped all her anger away, there was something about it that made her look him in the eye.  
“My dear, you underestimate the value freedom has for me.”  
“Dr. Lecter, we can--” her twang was becoming more pronounced.  
“Ah, the answer is no, Clarice. I’m not going back, not even for you. And I’d very much appreciate if you didn’t force me to fight you, I have no intention to hurt you, my dear. Nor I intend to allow myself to get harmed in any way.”  
A pause, her eyes focused on his. “Why show yourself now?”  
An interruption. The waiter set their drinks on the table and left.  
Lecter took a sip of his drink before answering. “I saw the news.”  
“You didn’t need to send that letter.”  
He dismissed her statement and his next words came in a patient and gentle tone. “I hope it served its purpose.”  
“It did” her honesty came as a surprise, he had expected her not to answer. Her words were also kinder than he would have expected. “And I’m grateful for that, Doctor.”  
“Anytime, Clarice.”  
“You knew the FBI was going to see that letter, you knew they would reopen the case. Why do this?”  
“You and I are friendly, it’s good to help a friend in need.”  
“By putting yourself in front of the lions?”  
“Now, my dear, your metaphor is misguided. I am the lion… Have you tried the necklace?”  
“Once”  
“Well?”  
“It’s beautiful, thank you.”  
He smiled at her.  
“How is life, Doctor?”  
“I have my view, Clarice. Incarceration has the perk of reminding you just how much freedom is important and how life can be gorgeous… I heard you have new friends.”  
“I do.”  
“Do they see you?”  
A moment. “No.”  
“Have the lambs been screaming lately?”  
“Yes”  
“Why is that?”  
“This has become a one sided game, Doctor.”  
“I’ll make it up for you, Clarice, if that is what you want. Now, please, indulge me.”  
“They call her Faceless”  
“Her?”  
“Yes.”  
“I’m glad to see you haven’t lost touch. Tell me, Clarice, what do you see?”  
“Female, around 30s, she was mutilated probably in her face and is trying to get back at whoever did this to her, but she knows that, if she kills this person it’ll lead directly to her. I’ve seen the photos, she might be an MD. She’s very angry.”  
“Why?”  
“Because what was done to her made her feel ugly, she wants to be beautiful…” Lecter watched as the epiphany hit her. “She is wearing the faces.”  
“Ever heard of a creature called Mimikyu, Clarice?”  
“You mean that little thing from Pokemon?”  
He paused and watched her. “What have you been doing in your free time, my dear?”  
“Ardelia has a niece.”  
“Yes, that little thing from whatever the name is, do you remember what it did?”  
“It mimicked the other pokemons in order to look pretty, otherwise it would scare everyone away.”  
“Exactly. Your killer is a Mimikyu.” a moment. “Crawford didn’t put you in the case, why?”  
“He has someone else on it.”  
“Not you.”  
“No, I’m on your case.”  
He smiled almost teasingly. “I’m sorry to keep you from the fun, Clarice, I hope you can forgive me.”  
“Maybe, if you give me something on Mimikyu.”  
He took a sip of his drink before answering. She hadn’t touched her coffee, she was agitated enough. “And spoil your friend’s fun?”  
“Doctor, lives are at stake here.”  
“Clarice, my dear, I assure you, you have nothing to worry about. Agent Monahan is doing very well.”  
The mention of Monahan’s name forced Starling to pause. “How long have you been watching us?”  
“Time enough.”  
“Doctor, just how close have you gotten from us?”  
His smile widened. “I’ve not violated your privacy or your residence.”  
“Dr. Lecter, you said you’d make it up to me, answer the question.”  
“I’ve watched you from far enough to see you and know you were really okay, far enough for you not to spot me in the crowd… Your coffee is going cold.”  
She didn’t answer, her eyes, however, moved down to the cup.  
“David?” a voice came from somewhere near their table and Lecter turned as if the name was really his, Clarice followed his glance.  
“Laura” he replied. “What a pleasant surprise.”  
“A surprise indeed” Laura replied, her smile was big and her eyes devoured Lecter. “It has been a while.”  
“It has. Laura, allow me to introduce to my wife, Andrea.”  
“Oh, you got married!” Laura hid her disappointment well.  
“Not yet, actually.” Lecter turned to face Clarice who smiled enough for the other woman not to notice the cracks in her façade, the good doctor, however, could read her expression. She definitely had not expected the title he had given her. “We still have to arrange a few things.” He looked back at the woman. “So, tell me, how have you been? Would you like to join us?”  
“Oh, I’ve been great. Oh, no, I wouldn’t want to interrupt your date. I was just passing by to say ‘hi’” Laura answered nervously. “Actually, I’m late for an appointment, will I see you around, Dr. Boyd?”  
“I’m afraid not, Laura. We’re leaving town in a couple of days.”  
“Oh, that is a shame. Well, you call me then, so we can catch up someday.”  
“I’ll do that. It was nice seeing you, Laura.”  
“Nice seeing you too, David. Goodbye, Doctor. Goodbye, Mrs. Boyd.”  
“Bye.”  
They watched as the woman left.   
“She reminded me a bit of Rachel DuBerry,” Starling commented.  
“She lacks Rachel’s education.” Lecter seemed unaffected by the mention of his old acquaintance. Finally, they faced each other. “You did well.”  
“I’m an FBI agent, Doctor, I’ve gone undercover before.”  
“She would not have been intimidated by anything else nor anyone else.” he said.  
“You don’t have to explain it. At least, not that. I’m more interested in your said departure. Where are you going?”  
“Clarice, don’t spoil the fun. You’ll know when it’s time.” He checked his watch. “We have to go now.”  
“We?”  
“We are having dinner at my place tonight.”  
“Doctor, I don’t think--”  
“We can talk about Mimikyu, if you want.” she opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. “Please, remember that I have no intention of lying to you or harming you in any way, Clarice.”  
“We shouldn’t do this.”  
“It’s the only way you’ll be able to keep an eye on me before I leave.”  
Starling faced him, he saw the struggle behind her eyes fading before she nodded.

Jack Crawford was surprised by the power of a note.  
The paper was on his desk when he entered his office and the information on it made him feel divided.   
Guilt was devouring him when Monahan entered his office.  
“You called me.” she said.  
“We’ve got a name” he said taking a moment before looking at her. “I don’t know what it means for the case, but it is important.”  
“Who is it?”  
“Dr. Cameron Fuller. I want everything you can find on him, Agent Monahan. Every single detail of his life.” his tone was somber.  
“Yes, sir.” M.J. answered readily. “I’m on it.”  
She left the room without waiting for any further instructions or for him. Crawford was glad for that, it would not do to have her see him tearing the note in a million pieces before throwing it away.  
Another piece of evidence the FBI would never investigate.


	7. Killing

Starling is surprised to find Hannibal’s house away from the city, normally she would believe him to hide in plain sight. Then she learned he had another place rented in the city, for cover.  
The smell of the food was delicious, the house, however, was empty. Whoever was working as Lecter’s cook had already left, the person must have been of deep trust if he left them alone in the house.  
The place was well decorated, but unsuiting of the good doctor. It felt elegant but way too American from a fancy European man like him.  
“Whose house was that?” she finally questioned studying the place.  
“This was the summer house of a businessman I met in England. He sold it to me after deciding his wife liked France better than America,” he replied calmly. “May I take your coat?”  
She faced him and nodded softly, she knew she shouldn’t trust him to be behind her, but there was a lot she shouldn’t be doing happening at this very moment. And Lecter had never given her reason not to trust him.  
“Doctor?” she called out.  
“Yes, Clarice.” he answered, placing her coat on the hanger.  
“What would you have done if your escape plan failed?”  
The question came out of the blue, the thought just crossing her mind.  
“I assure you I had little intention of staying incarcerating, I’d have found an opportunity.” he answered.  
“And if you didn’t it?”  
“There are other ways of getting rid of this kind of situation, Clarice.”  
She stopped and faced him, he didn’t need to explain any further, she knew what he was talking about.  
“Please, come with me.”

 

“I believe you’ll have to stay the night, my dear,” Hannibal stated as he placed the desert in front of Starling.  
Clarice shot him a look of surprise. “What?”  
“Pardon.” he corrected while glancing outside the window. “It seems that we’re snowed in. Fortunately, I decided not to turn the guest room into an office.” He sat across from her near the fireplace. “Now, shall we proceed?”  
There was something comforting about all of it. Playing house with Lecter felt good, very good. Strangely she wasn’t surprised nor guilty, it felt… Right, fair.  
“You owe me an answer, Doctor.” she pointed out. “About your mother.”  
He observed for a moment, a smile on his lips. “She was Italian, a Sforza and a Visconti, she came from Milan to live with my father. Her room felt like a piece of Milan. It was the most beautiful place I had ever seen when I was a young man. It was where my Memory Palace began. You should get yourself one, Clarice, I believe you would enjoy the experience.”  
“You used to spend a lot of time at yours, didn’t you? Back in the dungeon?”  
“Yes, it is more powerful than it seems.”  
“Do you visit Mischa?” she is not afraid to look into his eyes when she questions him.  
“I try not to.” his answer is calm.  
“And yet you wish she could, somehow,…”  
When Lecter looks away from her, down to the teacup he has on his hands, Clarice sees him in the most humane way possible. The mask is off, the Hannibal Lecter before her is the young count who lost his family to the war.  
It feels so deeply unfair that a beautiful creature could have such a tragic past. She wonders for a second, what would have been of him if nothing happened. Would he still be the man she knows? Would she respect him? Would he have married a Rachel DuBerry? Or would he have been uncle Hannibal? He would not be much different, she concludes. Cannibalism and death are just a part of a whole. The elegant man behind it has nothing to do with it. The monster and the man are the same, but he is organized and the two don’t usually mix.  
Uncle Hannibal, then. The same person that he was before his incarceration, just without the peculiar taste for food.  
A part of Clarice likes the man before her better than she would like any other version of him. And she not ashamed of such admission.  
“Yes.” his answer comes in a whisper.  
The man raises his head and watches her politely, he gets up, ready to take the empty plate she holds. She didn’t realize she had been eating anything until he offered to take her plate. As he leaves she notices how the polite façade bothers her, he has gone slightly cold, probably licking a wound she recklessly touched.  
When he meets her again in the dining room, she blurts out a question.   
“Do you have a violin?”

 

“He is dead.” the blonde said “He was murdered”  
“By whom?” Monahan asked, ready to make a note of the name.  
“No one was arrested for it.” the woman replied. “The killer was never found. They say his face looked like a Picasso when he was found.”  
“Dr. Du Maurier, do you know if the police had any leads?”  
“A young girl he used to pass as straight in front of his rich friends. They never found proof of against her.”  
“Do you know her name?”  
“Kelly Dunne. She was his patient once.”  
The doctor’s words made Monahan look up. “Do you know what she was being treated for?”  
“He never mentioned, but she clearly had issues with her mother… Why all these questions, Agent Monahan?”  
“A homicide investigation.”  
“Is it her? Is she the face behind the one you call Faceless?”  
“I can’t answer that, ma’am.”  
“What did it cost you?”  
Mary Jane observed the woman before her, the blonde had elegance in all her form, but her eyes held discreet curiosity, the kind of curiosity the cat has towards the bird it has just injured.  
“I’m sorry, ma’am, you’ve lost me,” Monahan said.  
“You went for Cameron without hesitation, you don’t have the look of someone who is trying to figure something out. This lead was given to you, someone told you about Fuller and Kelly. Who was it?”  
“I can’t answer that.”  
Bedelia Du Maurier leaned back against the chair and folded her hands in her lap calmly. “The answer was not given to you, but to someone you trust, or that you should trust… You should be careful, Agent Monahan, you’re surrounded by vampires.”  
“Dr. Du Maurier, you were once under investigation.”  
“I was, indeed. I think we both know where this is going, Agent Monahan. Did Jack Crawford send you here? Did he give you the lead about Cameron Fuller? You wonder where he got this from, don’t you? Well, Ms. Monahan, I know only one person who could have thrown this piece at your feet, but he would not do so without asking for something back. Jack Crawford must have given up something really valuable for this piece of information, I wonder what it was, I merely have an idea.”  
Monahan watched the woman, she saw the beast behind the calm eyes of Bedelia. Du Maurier smiled. If what they said about Lecter was true, Du Maurier certain looked a bit like him. M.J. wondered just how many she could have killed without the FBI knowing.  
“Dr. Du Maurier, I must ask you to tell me what do you know about this case.”  
“I know that you’re being played, Agent Monahan. You’re just another pawn in Jack Crawford’s game, like Will Graham was, like Clarice Starling is. I advise you to be careful, Agent. Information can be expensive.”  
“What do you know, Doctor?” Monahan pressed.  
“I know you should call Crawford, he might have something to tell you about this lead of yours, ask him how he got it.”  
“Why would you say that?”  
Bedelia smiled. “Do you have any reason to keep me here, Agent Monahan? Because, if you don’t, I would like to go home.”  
Agent Monahan needed a moment before shaking her head and getting up. “You’re free to go, Dr. Du Maurier.”  
“Good luck, Agent Monahan. I would be very careful if I were you, they say the Devil disguises himself with a friendly face.” the blonde smiled. “Have a good day.”  
Du Maurier left the interrogation room, leaving Monahan alone with her thoughts.

 

The music filled the study as his fingers ran over the keyboard.  
Lecter glanced up to study Clarice as she skillfully played the violin, her eyes closed, her mind focused, the melody coming from the instrument in perfect sync with the one coming from the piano. She had joined him in the study after they had a lovely morning in town for a walk and breakfast.  
Somehow, she had managed to learn how to play such a delicate instrument while growing up. The lack of time had managed to make her leave it behind her so she could focus on joining the Bureau, but while she learned she enjoyed it.  
It had taken her a moment to access the memory of it, but after it came she was able to play for a good while last night and now again.  
Hannibal was about to close his eyes and focus on the sound when a buzzing noise interrupted their playing.  
“I’m sorry, it’s mine,” Clarice said after letting out a frustrated sigh, she turned to watch him. “Can we continue after lunch?”  
“Of course, my dear.”  
She smiled and handed him the violin before leaving the room in a contained rush.  
He watched her for a moment before looking back at the piano keys.  
Starling entered the guest room and found her phone over the bed.  
“Starling”  
“Starling, it’s Monahan”  
“Oh, hey. What is up? Is everything alright?”  
“Ah, yes. I just have something that you probably should know.”  
“Well, please, go on.”  
“A lead came in from Crawford’s source, I’ve been investigating it for a while now and something came up… Clarice, our killer is connected to a psychiatrist, someone who Hannibal Lecter knew, his name was Cameron Fuller. He and Lecter shared social circles. I talked to a witness.”  
“... Have you talked to Crawford?”  
“Not yet. Starling, do you think Lecter would give Crawford anything?”  
“Not unless he got something in return. Agent Monahan, I’ve been thinking about this case, Mimikyu wants to be beautiful, she was mutilated, look for someone that might consider herself ugly, check this psychiatrist’s patients and friends, the answer is on them.”  
“When will you come back?”  
“I’m not sure yet.”  
“Starling”  
“Yes”  
“Be careful.”  
“I will.”  
Clarice hung up and left her phone in the bed. For a moment she considered taking her gun with her, but she decided against it. She wanted answers, not a confrontation.  
Lecter heard her walk into the study, but he didn’t stop playing. He sensed her tension, but he didn’t react to it.  
“Was it agent Monahan?” he casually asked.  
“Yes,” she answered.  
“You didn’t bring your gun.”  
“Will I need it, Doctor?”  
“I don’t think so.” he stopped playing and turned to face her before getting up and walking towards her. “But you seem upset.”  
She didn’t answer right away.  
“Ask it.”  
“Why am I here, Doctor?”  
“You are here, Clarice, out of your own efforts; my deal with Jack Crawford had no part on it.”  
“So, it is true?”  
“Yes.”  
“Care to elaborate?”  
“What do you want me to say, Clarice? That I intend to destroy old uncle Jack? Forgive the harshness, but I do not share your loyalty towards the man, my dear.”  
“What have you done, Doctor?”  
“I’ve been poking the bear. I made an offer to Jack Crawford and he took it.”  
“What did you ask of him?”  
“You.” He didn’t hesitate, he merely observed her calmly, watched as she reacted to his answer. “You’ve been sold out, Clarice.”


	8. Devouring

He saw the moment she wished she had brought her gun, a flash of emotion in her face.  
“I sent Jack a letter with an offer: I would give him Mimikyu, but at a price.” Lecter confessed calmly, observing Clarice as she watched some point in the horizon intently. “I didn’t mean to offend, my dear. Understand that I do not see you as an object, I’ve always known you to be able to find me whenever you put yourself to it. My price was you and the condition was that you were not to know anything about the deal, you’d have turned yourself in to me in order to save a lamb in no time and, of course, it would put Jack’s mind at ease to know it was your insistence that got you in such position. He would look like a martyr if he tried to get you back and I killed you or you went missing” he paused. “I wanted more. I knew where to find you and how to make you come looking for me, what I wanted was to play Jack and I did.”  
“Why?” her question comes in a flat tone, she doesn’t look at him at first.  
“For you to see what you are seeing now. It is not the first time uncle Jack throws you to me. Do know that it’s also me having my fun. I understand your loyalties, but I don’t share them, my dear. Tell me, Clarice, does it scare you to know that even if you called for backup it would never come?”  
“No, Doctor, I know you… Why not keep me blind?” she watched as he walked towards her with his hands in his pocket.  
“The world is more interesting with you in it, Clarice. You fall into self-destructive patterns easily, having you die the death of a caged bird would not do. Forgive the selfishness, but I would not allow it.”  
She swallowed and finally faced him. If she had had a lion encircling her it would feel the same. Yet this lion didn’t seem to pose as a threat, he never did, not even when he should.   
“Have you made a lamb out of me, Dr. Lecter?”  
“Lions don’t keep lambs, Clarice,” he states simply. One of his hands touched her shoulder, it felt warm against her skin. “You might want to take a run, my dear, I believe the snow will not be an issue now. I’ll be here when you come back and we can have lunch in the city.”  
“No” her answer surprises him. “No, Doctor, I-- I would like to see my father.”  
He nods silently. “We’ll have that arranged.”

“Agent Crawford”  
Jack Crawford looks up from the papers to face Special Agent Monahan. “Agent Monahan”  
“I’ve got news on Faceless…”  
“Excellent, I--”  
“And I have questions, Sir,” she concludes.  
“About…?”  
“Your source. I’ve talked to a witness, a colleague of Dr. Fuller and my investigation led me to believe your source of information is dangerous.”  
Crawford leans back in his chair. “Close the door, Monahan.”  
She complies before sitting across from him, her hands folded on her lap as she sat comfortably on the chair. “Please, begin.”  
“This cannot leave this room.”  
“What is going on, Mr. Crawford?”  
“A deal.”  
“With Lecter?”  
“He has been giving us leads on Faceless.”  
“At what cost, Mr. Crawford? I’ve heard the stories, I’ve heard the witness, I’ve heard Starling, Lecter doesn’t do things without asking for something in return. What have you given him, Mr. Crawford?”  
Jack doesn’t answer and his silence is more telling them his words could ever be.  
“As I said I’ve heard the stories, Mr. Crawford. If Starling dies, it’s on you.”  
She gets up and prepares to leave.  
“Monahan” he calls out and she turns. “Starling knows how to do her job.”  
“It doesn’t change the fact that you sold her,” she states and walks backs towards his desk. “For this”, she throws the case file over his table. “Kelly Dunne, 35-year-old, she dropped MedSchool a few years ago, she was Cameron Fuller’s former patient and former girlfriend. I have reasons to believe she killed him. She was abandoned by her mother as a child, stayed in the system until she turned 18. I’m off to investigate her mother and see if I can locate her.” she walks to the door and pauses. “Mr. Crawford, I honestly hope Starling is as good as you seem to think she is.”  
Monahan leaves his office in a deafening silence, worse than any door banging she could have ever caused.

 

Charles Starling’s grave is almost entirely covered by snow, but it doesn’t keep Clarice from finding it easily. She wipes the snow away from his name with a few moves of her hand. She kneels on the snow, never thinking about her clothes or the cold or her knees.  
Hannibal awaits in the distance, his hands in his pockets. His plans have altered out of the unpredictability of the woman he tries so hard to protect, even if against his best instincts.  
The honey in the lion. Sweeter than honey, stronger than a lion.  
It takes Clarice just enough time to come to terms with herself when she gets up and walks back to Hannibal there is no metaphorical blindfolds covering her eyes. Lecter can’t find the chrysalis in which he had whispered all these years, what has come out of it is something he has yet to study, he hopes she will allow him to because it sure looks beautiful.  
She stops before him, a small smile on her lips. “I believe you owe me a lunch, Doctor.”  
He offers her his arm which she gladly accepts.  
“Doctor” she calls once while they are walking out of the cemetery.  
“Yes, Clarice”  
“Sometimes, I do feel like a lady.”  
“How often?”  
“Mostly around you. You know, you keep spoiling me with fancy lotions and necklaces”  
“Always a pleasure. You do need to get more fun out of life, it suits you”  
“Thank you, Doctor”


	9. Pleasure

“How long?” the question comes out of Clarice’s lips suddenly, but she does not turn to look at Lecter, her eyes are focused on the piano keyboard and on mimicking the movements he had shown her. She recreates the sound perfectly. “How long until Jack regrets?”  
“He already has. Currently, he is struggling with the idea that he probably killed you or trying to believe the thought that you are perfectly able of killing me.” Hannibal replied in a tone as calm as hers, his eyes watching her fingers move.  
“So, he really believes me to hate you?” she stops playing and finally looks at him, her blue eyes studying his face with a gentle gaze.  
“Not entirely. Are you familiar with the notion of terminal agitation, Clarice?” he asks placing his hands on the keyboard, playing for her.  
“No, Doctor”  
“Terminal agitation is sometimes seen in terminal patients, it causes them to behave abnormally. They can become aggressive, some might experience sudden mood changes, they can also become depressed and irritable. Jack Crawford is experiencing something similar to terminal agitation.”  
Starling observes the man by her side. “But he won’t confess what he has done.”  
“No, he won’t, it’s too hard for him to recognize his whims won over rationality once again”  
“And he won’t come for me”  
“Of that, I’m not entirely sure, my dear, but it seems unlikely. He can’t do such thing without raising suspicion.”  
She is satisfied with this answer, nodding slowly before turning to the piano.  
“He might call you, to make sure you are safe” Lecter suggested. “Does it anger you, Clarice, what he did?” He watches her for a moment while she stares into a random spot on the horizon.  
“A few years ago it would have angered me more, it felt… It feels as if as I was expecting it, one last betrayal”  
He nods silently. “You’ve been having difficult years”  
“Nothing I couldn’t handle”  
“You are a warrior, Clarice. You have always been.”  
“Now what, Doctor? What becomes of me?”  
“That, my dear, is up to you. I confess I could never entirely predict you, I could read you, but not predict you. I still can’t” His hands leave the keyboard as he turns to face her.  
He looks exactly as he had been in her memory, he is not mocking or teasing, and all she can see in his eyes is honesty.  
“‘Tyger, Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry?’” she whispers the poem quietly, eyes on his. Lecter smiles, he takes one of her hands on his and kisses the back of it gently.  
“I never took you for a fan of Blake, Clarice,” he confessed. “I believe I could ask you the same question, though”  
“You don’t believe, Doctor, you know”  
Her words made him question if he had created something better than he expected, the answer is a whispered yes in the back of his mind.  
Starling takes his hand and traces his veins gently with her fingers. “Which one of us has been hiding, Hannibal? Have I been blind to you or blind to myself?”  
“I believe we’ve both been blind, Clarice”  
She guides his hand and kisses his palm. “When are you leaving?”  
“Soon, it won’t take long for Jack or one of your friends to come looking for you.”  
“I was in no danger and I have never been.”  
“But they will believe you to be”  
Clarice doesn't tremble nor does she hesitate while guiding his hand down and away from her lips. “Doctor, you know what I want to know”  
He doesn’t fight her, he doesn’t resist her. Not even when his fingers brush the fabric of her cleavage and she covers her breast with his hand he cups it gently. “Yes” he whispers, his eyes studying her breathing under his hand. His fingers pull the fabric from her shoulder, uncovering her pale skin. “Yes, I know” His hand move so he can observe the coral and cream, her nipple hardening against his touch. He leans towards her. “Come with me, Clarice”  
She closes her eyes a moment before his mouth closes around her skin.  
The feeling is just the beginning, it sends waves through her body, makes her burn, makes her ache.  
“Yes,” she whispers as her hand finds the back of his head. His teeth tease her tender skin before his tongue soothes the area.  
A whimper leaves her lips when he pulls away from her skin. She aches for more, aches for him. Seven years of denial finally pushing its weight down on them. They have been facing each other, recognizing each other and denying each other all those years.  
When Hannibal pulls her for a kiss, Clarice returns it softly; when she deepens it, he brings her closer.  
Lecter has every single desire to take her to bed, but his lioness is not conceding him such privilege. She makes him sit on the divan present in the study before she claims her place on his lap and kisses his lips with hunger.  
He denies her nothing.  
His hands move on her sides, lifting her dress up and away from her body as she unbuttons his shirt. Their foreheads touch and she makes sure to look into his eyes as she unbuckles his belt and undoes his pants. She can feel his hands on her legs. Starling keeps him from moving when he attempts to go for her breast.  
“No, not yet” she whispers.  
There is a strange familiarity on this, a feeling of falling into place.  
They belong nowhere else but in each other’s arms.  
Clarice kisses him hard while her hand cups his hardening erection. She devours the sound he is making and her touch maps out his body. The way his hold tightens on her hips make her smile.  
Their next kiss is passionate and he is no longer denying himself anything. He pulls her to him and pants hard to the feeling of their chests pressed together, his fingers tug at her panties and he has nothing else in mind but her.  
Hannibal lays her down in the divan, finding his place over her body. Soon they’re working together.  
Her legs closed around his waist after he rids her of the last piece of clothing, her hands explore his back and her nails leave marks whenever his lips make her need him more.  
She fights his desire to taste her by pulling him for a kiss and guiding his erection against her entrance. They’ll have time for the teasing later, for now all she wants is to feel him, to feel the burning, the aching, to have him with her, inside her, to be one, because it feels like they have always been and there is no justification for them to be separated any longer.  
He groans and she moans when he fills her body with his own. Each movement he makes earns a sound, a bite, a caress.  
They are breathing hard, moving slowly, feeling as if their bodies were about to combust. There is so much heat, so much need, yet so much patience. It feels like heated fucking, but the air is thick with something else, something that can’t and needn't be explained.  
Clarice’s phone buzzes on the guest room, but nothing could ever separate her from Hannibal at this moment.  
Her legs tighten around him, she wants and needs more, she wants him so deep on her no one can tell them apart. His grunt comes out strangled and she kisses him, keeps him from fighting her and himself.  
They’ve made a mess of themselves, but it could never be any other way. It had always been merely a matter of time until they crashed together.  
The way she kisses him is loving and he returns in the same manner.  
Her scream is muffled against his mouth and he bites her lip when he comes. When they break apart she can taste the blood in her mouth and smiles.   
The taste of her blood and the weight of his body on hers is a pleasure she is enjoying on its fullness.  
The phone buzzes in the guest room, but neither of them moves to get it. They merely wait for their heartbeats to calm and for their breaths to normalize. There is no worry now, no rush.   
Only them.


	10. Satisfaction

“Ms. Dunne, I’m Special Agent Monahan, can I speak to you?”  
The blonde woman at the doorstep looks surprised and slightly annoyed as she makes space for the agent.  
“What is this about, agent?” the woman questions, lacking the patience for this kind of thing.  
As Monahan passes she smells the scent of alcohol coming from the woman.  
“It is about your daughter, Miss. Kelly Dunne, I’m looking for her.”  
“What do you want with that thing?” the mother asks uninterested. “I haven’t seen her in years.”  
“I thought so. Can you think of somewhere she could be?”  
“I knew I should have left the state.” the woman muttered to herself as she opened the kitchen cabinet and got herself some whiskey, she gestured with the bottle to Monahan, who politely shook her hand in a ‘no’. “She was annoying, never did a thing right. She dropped MedSchool, didn’t she? That little bitch never got interested in anything good… Why are you looking for her anyway?” the woman took a gulp of her drink.  
“I can’t answer that, ma’am”  
“Is she in trouble?” the woman received silence as an answer and chuckled before pouring herself more whiskey. “Why am I not surprised?”  
“Ma’am, no one has seen her in the last weeks, do you have any idea of where she could be?”  
“She is not at her house?” the woman saw Monahan deny with her head. “Must be at her father’s old house. That son of a bitch managed to leave her that horrible place. I think I have the address here somewhere, wait here.” the older woman left the room walking to the bedroom on the top floor.  
M. J. took her chance to study the place, looking for any evidence that Dunne’s mother might be lying about her daughter’s whereabouts or about them keeping contact.  
Monahan’s phone started buzzing.  
“Monahan” she answered  
“Have you talked to Starling?” Ardelia’s voice asked, her tone masking worry.  
“Ah, yes, yesterday”  
“Did she sound okay?”  
“Yes, she sounded perfectly fine to me. Why?”  
“Crawford has been calling her and she is not answering.”  
“I wouldn’t answer him either.”  
“What? Why?”  
“It’s a long story, Delia.”  
“I have the time.”  
“I don’t.”  
“Sum’ it up, girl.”  
“Crawford betrayed her”  
“How so?”  
“Well, he… He sold her out, Delia.”  
“What? To who?”  
Monahan bit her lip nervously. “Lecter.”  
“WHAT? What the actual fuck? That son of a-- How do you know that?”  
“I was interviewing witnesses about this case and someone brought my suspicions back around. Lecter was his source.”  
“But Lecter loves quid pro quo and he would never help unless he got something in return.”  
“That something was Starling. Ardelia, calm down, I’ve talked to her yesterday, she was fine.”  
“Okay… I’m gonna wait, give her some time, maybe it is a good thing she is away.”  
Neither of them commented on how that sounded pretty useless if Lecter really wanted to get Starling.  
“Yeah” Monahan agreed blankly and saw Dunne’s mother coming back into the run. “I’ve to go now, Delia. We’ll talk later, bye”  
She hung up.  
“Here you go.” Dunne mother said handing a small piece of paper to Monahan, who studied the address.  
“Thank you very much for your help, Ms. Dunne. I just have a few more questions.”  
“Shoot, my show will start in twenty minutes.”  
“Does Kelly has any scars or marks?”  
“She does, a big one in her face, never seen ugliest kid before.”  
“How did she got it?”  
“It was an accident” the woman defended.  
“I’m not here to arrest you, ma’am, I’m just looking for answers.”  
“I was drunk, it had been a hell of a day. I had a broken bottle in my hand and…”  
Monahan nodded satisfied with what she had gathered.  
“It was the best thing I’ve ever done for her, giving her up. I never was mother material, I just wish she had gotten a family that deserved her.” the woman muttered, watching the empty cup on the kitchen island, she wiped her face clean before looking back to Monahan. “Is there anything else I could do to help you, Agent Monahan?”  
“No, ma’am, I believe you have done enough. Thank you”  
M. J. left and Dunne watched her go all the way to her car.

 

The decision was made before he got himself to admit anything and, as he waited for a cab, Jack Crawford was glad he had been keeping an eye on Starling since she was suspended.  
“Sir?” a cab driver called and Crawford glanced at the man. “Are you Mr. Crawford?”  
The older man nodded and walked towards the vehicle, opening the door as he said “Yes.”  
“Where to, Sir?” the driver asked and watched Jack through the mirror.  
The agent pulled a paper out of his pocket, it contained the name of Starling’s hotel. “Go and fast, I’ll give you extra twenty for you to get there really fast.”  
The driver needn’t be told twice.

 

Lecter opened his eyes to find the sleeping forming of Clarice lying by his side in the bed. Her sleep seemed peaceful, unbothered, her lambs seemed nowhere to be found.  
It felt like a good while before she opened her eyes, a smile appearing on her lips. “Good morning, Doctor”  
“I believe it’s actually four p.m., my dear,” he commented.  
“Shit, seriously?” she replied surprised. “How long did I sleep?”  
“A couple of hours. How are you feeling?” he asked, the tip of his fingers moving down her spine in a gentle caress.  
“Sore” her answer caused his smile to grow mischievously. His hand reached her hairline, his thumb caressed her lower lip. “How much time do we have?”  
“Another couple of hours” he answered.  
Starling let out a loud groan before pulling herself up. “Shower with me, Doctor?”  
In a quick movement he was over her, she was trapped between his arms like a prey. He kissed her hard and felt her reciprocate it deeply, he bit her lip playfully before letting go of her and getting off the bed.  
“Shit!” she cursed in frustration and watched his naked form near the bed, waiting for her. “Damn you, Hannibal Lecter.” she got up and made her way to him, laying her hands on his chest.  
“No need for the cursing, Clarice.”  
“You didn’t mind it when I asked you to fuc--” he kissed her silent. She was a little breathless when they broke apart.  
“Such a dirty mouth, I’m afraid we will have to work on that, my dear.” he pointed out.  
“I recall us having to shower, Doctor.”  
“You’re right, shall we?”   
They walked together to the bathroom.  
“Doctor”  
“Yes”  
“I still have some swearing to do”

 

The door slammed open and agent Monahan entered the abandoned house followed by a group of agents. They separated and soon she heard them calling out to her, declaring the place empty.  
“Quiet!” she told them suddenly and they complied after a moment.  
Monahan heard sobs coming from under the wooden floor, she walked towards the sound until she found a trap-door partially covered by a dirty piece of tapestry.  
M. J. glanced to the agents and they nodded before she pulled the door open.  
With guns and flashlights pointed at her, a blonde woman turned and exposed her mutilated face, the same face she had been studying in the mirrored room in the basement she was. Her sobs didn’t stop.  
“Kelly Dunne, you’re under arrest.” announced M. J.  
“Where is she?” Kelly questioned.  
“Who?” Monahan asked back and saw a look of horror take over Dunne’s expression as she slowly raised her hands exposing the chains that held her in the basement.  
“My mother” it was all she answered before she fell to her knees shaking.  
Monahan exchanged glances with the agents, she walked towards the car quickly, soon she reached her phone and made a call.  
“We’ve got a situation”

 

The officer pulled the door open and entered the house carefully, Crawford followed him close behind. Someone matching Lecter’s description was seen with Clarice, the man answered to the name David Boyd and according to the police, this was his house.  
“Check the rooms upstairs, I’m checking this floor,” the officer said to his partner and they split.  
Jack followed the younger officer after he opened the door to what looked like a guest room.  
“There is something here.” the young officer said turning to Jack and pointing to the perfectly made bed.  
Crawford was presented with the vision of Clarice Starling’s badge lying beside her phone. “Damn it, Lecter!”  
Jack ran back to the car. He had to get to the airport.

 

Clarice bit her lip down hard doing her best not to curse again knowing that if she did so Hannibal would edge her and deny her release for a group of infernal minutes, and the more she cursed the longer it would take for her to be allowed to come.  
She felt his hand pull her wet hair away from her neck and taste her skin slowly, he had all the time he wanted.  
They didn’t have to think about their flight for another hour. Until then, the police would have been called off and Crawford would be clueless of their whereabouts.  
Starling didn’t question when Lecter said she needn’t worry about leaving the country soon.  
A loud moan escaped her lips when she came, the sound filling the bathroom much to Hannibal’s delight.


	11. Epilogue - Sleepiness

“Don’t touch it or your fingers will be stained”   
“I wasn’t going to”  
“Don’t touch it”  
“I won’t, I promise. Can you please turn the TV on now?”  
Lecter observed her for a moment before he turned to turn on the TV. He left the room and walked to the kitchen, ready to prepare their dinner.  
“She caught her” Clarice muttered as she watched the news, Monahan was on the screen, she was filmed arresting Kelly Dunne’s mother, the head before the killings. The reporter on the screen told a horrific story about Kelly’s childhood and how her mother had a history of violence. Apparently, Dunne’s mother was a smart enough to kill as if she was her daughter, but not smart enough not to go straight to the airport to leave the country.  
Sitting on the chair of the hotel room, Starling was well aware of the need to let the chaos calm down before actually leaving. Hiding in plain sight for a while was the best strategy.  
The thought of leaving made her remember she should not touch her hair or her fingers would get stained. It also made her think of Ardelia.  
Ardelia Mapp experienced her own terminal agitation, she did her best to have people looking for Starling, however, all she managed was to get the woman listed as a missing person. There wasn’t evidence enough to prove the former agent to be in any danger at the time of her disappearance.  
While Ardelia fought, Jack resigned, aware of his guilt. He hoped he would never have to suffer the rage of Monahan and Mapp. Lucky he had to stay away from the Bureau when his heart began failing him. When death came he went willingly.  
Clarice’s hand was caught mid-air before she could finish the motion of scratching the back of her neck.  
“I told you not to touch it” Hannibal’s voice made her turn.  
“I wasn’t…” she trailed off giving up and settle for accepting the plate he was offering her. “Thank you”  
Lecter turned his attention to the TV, Starling followed his glance.  
“How far will she go?” Clarice asked.  
“Far enough, but I don’t think she’ll last very long on Behavior Science. Agent Monahan seems to be the kind that would prefer the usual cases”  
“She did a good job on this one”  
“She did, but she saw enough to know what to do. She won’t struggle with morals, she’ll do what she has to. She can separate good guys from bad, she is flexible”  
Clarice seemed satisfied with the answer, she knew Monahan enough to hope she did well. Her blue eyes moved back to her companion.   
“Can I touch it now?”


End file.
